ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: Decoding the England squad
The 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup will get underway on October 5 in India. Defending champions England will take on New Zealand in the opener in Ahmedabad. The two sides clashed in the 2019 World Cup final which was decided through a historic Super Over. England once again will enter the World Cup as one of the favorites. Here we analyse England's WC squad.
Brook replaced Roy in final 15
Veteran batter Jason Roy, who was selected in the provisional squad, made way for the young batting sensation Harry Brook in the final 15. England World Cup squad: Jos Buttler (C & WK), Moeen Ali, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, David Willey, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes.
A solid top-order
Jonny Bairstow and Dawid Malan are set to form the opening pair. The former's attacking batting at the top has demolished the best of bowling attacks. Malan's average of 61.52 is the third-highest in ODIs (Minimum: 1,000 runs). Joe Root, who has struggled in ODIs lately, will come at number three. Root and Bairstow were instrumental to England's successful campaign in the 2019 event.
Stokes, Livingstone, Buttler to follow
Next in the line-up is Ben Stokes, who announced his return to ODI cricket with a career-best 182 against New Zealand earlier this month. Skipper Jos Buttler and Liam Livingstone have been striking at 110-plus in ODIs this year. Both dashers also average in excess of 40. This line-up can break some serious records in the WC.
A potent back-up in Harry Brook
In Harry Brook, England also boast a dashing back-up batter. The youngster's flexibility makes him an even greater asset. Notably, besides Root (86.70), none of the aforementioned batters have an ODI strike rate of less than 95.
A plethora of all-rounders
Notably, Livingstone can also contribute with his leg-spin. Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes would be next in the team sheet, meaning England will have depth in their batting. Sam Curran and David Willey are the other all-rounders in the squad. Hence, the Brits won't have many troubles altering their combination or rotating their players. Their batting depth is scary, to say the least.
Here are the bowlers
In Mark Wood, England arguably have the fastest bowler going around. Leg-spinner Adil Rashid would form the spin twin with Moeen. Reece Topley, who claimed a six-fer versus India last year, can trouble batters with his height and pace. Young pacer Gus Atkinson is another back-up. Notably, Rashid has an ODI fifty under his belt. Wood also showcased his batting abilities in Ashes 2023.
Here are England's top performers
Root has the second-most ODI runs for England (6,246 ODI runs). Bairstow (3,653), Malan (1,046), Stokes (3,159), and Buttler (4,823) would be England's other top batters this year. Spinners Rashid (184 ODI wickets) and Moeen (106) will play a crucial role on Indian tracks. Woakes (163), Wood (71) and Topley (38) are three of England's most crucial pacers.
